Metering software infrastructure in a cloud computing environment

ABSTRACT

A system and method include determining, by a processing device, a first duration of usage of a hardware resource on which a virtual machine is instantiated in a cloud, determining, by the processing device from the virtual machine on the cloud, a second duration of usage of a software resource that is utilized by a user on the virtual machine, the software resource comprising at least part of an operating system, and calculating, by the processing device, a usage of the cloud by the user in view of the first duration and the second duration.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/551,514, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference herein.

FIELD

This invention relates generally to products and services, moreparticularly, to systems and methods for cloud computing relatedservices and products.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

The advent of cloud-based computing architectures has opened newpossibilities for the rapid and scalable deployment of virtual Webstores, media outlets, and other on-line sites or services. In general,a cloud-based architecture deploys a set of hosted resources such asprocessors, operating systems, software and other components that can becombined or strung together to form virtual machines. A user or customercan request the instantiation of a virtual machine or set of machinesfrom those resources from a central server or management system toperform intended tasks or applications. For example, a user may wish toset up and instantiate a virtual server from the cloud to create astorefront to market products or services on a temporary basis, forinstance, to sell tickets to an upcoming sports or musical performance.The user can lease or subscribe to the set of resources needed to buildand run the set of instantiated virtual machines on a comparativelyshort-term basis, such as hours or days, for their intended application.Likewise, entities such as companies, corporations and universities canutilize clouds in order to pool their internal computing resources inorder to perform various computing processes.

Typically, when determining the usage of a cloud, the hardware usage ofa particular virtual machine is measured. For example, when determiningthe cost for leasing cloud resources, a vendor of the cloud will measurethe hardware resources, i.e. processor cycles, amount of memory, etc.,used by a particular customer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features of the embodiments can be more fully appreciated, asthe same become better understood with reference to the followingdetailed description of the embodiments when considered in connectionwith the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall cloud system architecture in which variousembodiments of the present teachings can be practiced;

FIG. 2 illustrates an overall cloud system architecture in which variousembodiments of the present teachings can be practiced in another regardincluding multiple cloud arrangements, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates an overall system in which a metering tool can trackthe utilization of software infrastructure of a cloud, according tovarious embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary record for storing the utilization ofthe software infrastructure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary hardware configuration for a computingsystem implementing the cloud management system and metering tool,according to various embodiments; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary process for tracking theutilization of software infrastructure of a cloud, according to variousembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the principles of the presentteachings are described by referring mainly to exemplary embodimentsthereof. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would readilyrecognize that the same principles are equally applicable to, and can beimplemented in, all types of information and systems, and that any suchvariations do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the presentteachings. Moreover, in the following detailed description, referencesare made to the accompanying figures, which illustrate specificembodiments. Electrical, mechanical, logical and structural changes maybe made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present teachings. The following detailed description is,therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of thepresent teachings is defined by the appended claims and theirequivalents.

Embodiments of the present teachings relate to systems and methods formetering infrastructure utilization in a cloud computing environment.More particularly, embodiments relate to platforms and techniques inwhich a cloud management system can meter both hardware and softwareinfrastructure utilization in a cloud computing environment.

According to embodiments, a cloud management system can be configured toinclude a metering tool for metering infrastructure utilization in acloud. The metering tool can be configured to monitor the softwareresources of the cloud to meter the software utilization of the cloud.In particular, the metering tool can be configured to cooperate andcommunicate with the cloud management system to determine the softwareresources utilized by processes instantiated in the cloud and to trackthe duration of the utilization. The metering tool can be configured tostore the tracked utilization in a record.

By tracking the utilization of the software infrastructure, the cloudmanagement system can accurately and reliably monitor the demands placedon the software infrastructure of the cloud. As such, an operator canenhance the flexibility, power, and reliability of the cloudenvironment. Additionally, by tracking the utilization of the softwareinfrastructure, the operator can price access to the cloud based on theutilization of the software resources.

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall cloud computing environment, in whichsystems and methods for the management of subscriptions of cloud-basedvirtual machines can operate, according to embodiments of the presentteachings. Embodiments described herein can be implemented in orsupported by a cloud network architecture. As used herein, a “cloud” cancomprise a collection of resources that can be invoked to instantiate avirtual machine, process, or other resource for a limited or definedduration. As shown for example in FIG. 1, the collection of resourcessupporting a cloud 102 can comprise a set of resource servers 108configured to deliver computing components needed to instantiate avirtual machine, process, or other resource. For example, one group ofresource servers can host and serve an operating system or componentsthereof to deliver to and instantiate a virtual machine. Another groupof resource servers can accept requests to host computing cycles orprocessor time, to supply a defined level of processing power for avirtual machine. A further group of resource servers can host and serveapplications to load on an instantiation of a virtual machine, such asan email client, a browser application, a messaging application, orother applications or software. Other types of resource servers arepossible.

In embodiments, the entire set of resource servers 108 or other hardwareor software resources used to support the cloud 102 along with itsinstantiated virtual machines can be managed by a cloud managementsystem 104. The cloud management system 104 can comprise a dedicated orcentralized server and/or other software, hardware, and network toolsthat communicate via one or more networks 106 such as the Internet orother public or private network with all sets of resource servers tomanage the cloud 102 and its operation. To instantiate a new set ofvirtual machines, a user can transmit an instantiation request to thecloud management system 104 for the particular type of virtual machinethey wish to invoke for their intended application. A user can forinstance make a request to instantiate a set of virtual machinesconfigured for email, messaging or other applications from the cloud102. The request can be received and processed by the cloud managementsystem 104, which identifies the type of virtual machine, process, orother resource being requested. The cloud management system 104 can thenidentify the collection of resources necessary to instantiate thatmachine or resource. In embodiments, the set of instantiated virtualmachines or other resources can for example comprise virtual transactionservers used to support Web storefronts, or other transaction sites.

In embodiments, the user's instantiation request can specify a varietyof parameters defining the operation of the set of virtual machines tobe invoked. The instantiation request, for example, can specify adefined period of time for which the instantiated machine or process isneeded. The period of time can be, for example, an hour, a day, or otherincrement of time. In embodiments, the user's instantiation request canspecify the instantiation of a set of virtual machines or processes on atask basis, rather than for a predetermined amount of time. Forinstance, a user could request resources until a software update iscompleted. The user's instantiation request can specify other parametersthat define the configuration and operation of the set of virtualmachines or other instantiated resources. For example, the request canspecify an amount of processing power or input/output (I/O) throughputthe user wishes to be available to each instance of the virtual machineor other resource. In embodiments, the requesting user can for instancespecify a service level agreement (SLA) acceptable for theirapplication. Other parameters and settings can be used. One skilled inthe art will realize that the user's request can likewise includecombinations of the foregoing exemplary parameters, and others.

When the request to instantiate a set of virtual machines or otherresources has been received and the necessary resources to build thatmachine or resource have been identified, the cloud management system104 can communicate with one or more set of resource servers 108 tolocate resources to supply the required components. The cloud managementsystem 104 can select providers from the diverse set of resource servers108 to assemble the various components needed to build the requested setof virtual machines or other resources. It may be noted that in someembodiments, permanent storage such as hard disk arrays may not beincluded or located within the set of resource servers 108 available tothe cloud management system 104, because the set of instantiated virtualmachines or other resources may be intended to operate on a purelytransient or temporary basis. In embodiments, other hardware, softwareor other resources not strictly located or hosted in the cloud can beleveraged as needed. For example, other software services that areprovided outside of the cloud 102 and hosted by third parties can beinvoked by in-cloud virtual machines. For further example, othernon-cloud hardware and/or storage services can be utilized as anextension to the cloud 102, either on an on-demand or subscribed ordecided basis.

With the resource requirements identified, the cloud management system104 can extract and build the set of virtual machines or other resourceson a dynamic or on-demand basis. For example, one set of resourceservers 108 can respond to an instantiation request for a given quantityof processor cycles with an offer to deliver that computational powerimmediately and guaranteed for the next hour. A further set of resourceservers 108 can offer to immediately supply communication bandwidth, forexample on a guaranteed minimum or best-efforts basis. In otherembodiments, the set of virtual machines or other resources can be builton a batch basis or at a particular future time. For example, a set ofresource servers 108 can respond to a request for instantiation at aprogrammed time with an offer to deliver the specified quantity ofprocessor cycles within a specific amount of time, such as the next 12hours.

The cloud management system 104 can select a group of servers in the setof resource servers 108 that match or best match the instantiationrequest for each component needed to build the virtual machine or otherresource. The cloud management system 104 can then coordinate theintegration of the completed group of servers from the set of resourceservers 108, to build and launch the requested set of virtual machinesor other resources. The cloud management system 104 can track thecombined group of servers selected from the set of resource servers 108,or other distributed resources that are dynamically or temporarilycombined, to produce and manage the requested virtual machine populationor other resources.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 104 can generate a resourceaggregation table that identifies the various sets of resource serversthat will be used to supply the components of the virtual machine orprocess. The sets of resource servers can be identified by uniqueidentifiers such as, for instance, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses orother addresses. The cloud management system 104 can register thefinalized group of servers in the set resource servers 108 contributingto an instantiated machine or process.

The cloud management system 104 can then set up and launch theinitiation process for the virtual machines, processes, or otherresources to be delivered from the cloud. The cloud management system104 can for instance transmit an instantiation command or instruction tothe registered group of servers in set of resource servers 108. Thecloud management system 104 can receive a confirmation message back fromeach participating server in a set of resource servers 108 indicating astatus regarding the provisioning of their respective resources. Varioussets of resource servers can confirm, for example, the availability of adedicated amount of processor cycles, amounts of electronic memory,communications bandwidth, or applications or other software prepared tobe served.

As shown for example in FIG. 2, the cloud management system 104 can theninstantiate one or more than one set of virtual machines 116, or otherprocesses based on the resources supplied by the registered set ofresource servers 108. In embodiments, the cloud management system 104can instantiate a given number, for example, 10, 500, 1000, or othernumber of virtual machines to be made available to users on a network106, such as the Internet or other public or private network. Eachvirtual machine can be assigned an instantiated machine ID that can bestored in the resource aggregation table, or other record or image ofthe instantiated population. Additionally, the cloud management system104 can store the duration of each virtual machine and the collection ofresources utilized by the complete set of instantiated virtual machines116.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 104 can further store, trackand manage a user's identity and associated set of rights orentitlements to software, hardware, and other resources. Each user thatpopulates a set of virtual machines in the cloud can have specificrights and resources assigned and made available to them. The cloudmanagement system 104 can track and configure specific actions that auser can perform, such as provision a set of virtual machines withsoftware applications or other resources, configure a set of virtualmachines to desired specifications, submit jobs to the set of virtualmachines or other host, manage other users of the set of instantiatedvirtual machines 116 or other resources, and other privileges oractions. The cloud management system 104 can further generate records ofthe usage of instantiated virtual machines to permit tracking, billing,and auditing of the services consumed by the user. In embodiments, thecloud management system 104 can for example meter the usage and/orduration of the set of instantiated virtual machines 116, to generatesubscription billing records for a user that has launched thosemachines. Other billing or value arrangements are possible.

The cloud management system 104 can configure each virtual machine to bemade available to users of the one or more networks 106 via a browserinterface, or other interface or mechanism. Each instantiated virtualmachine can communicate with the cloud management system 104 and theunderlying registered set of resource servers 108 via a standard Webapplication programming interface (API), or via other calls orinterfaces. The set of instantiated virtual machines 116 can likewisecommunicate with each other, as well as other sites, servers, locations,and resources available via the Internet or other public or privatenetworks, whether within a given cloud 102 or between clouds.

It may be noted that while a browser interface or other front-end can beused to view and operate the set of instantiated virtual machines 116from a client or terminal, the processing, memory, communications,storage, and other hardware as well as software resources required to becombined to build the virtual machines or other resources are all hostedremotely in the cloud 102. In embodiments, the set of virtual machines116 or other resources may not depend on or require the user's ownon-premise hardware or other resources. In embodiments, a user cantherefore request and instantiate a set of virtual machines or otherresources on a purely off-premise basis, for instance to build andlaunch a virtual storefront or other application.

Because the cloud management system 104 in one regard specifies, builds,operates and manages the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 on alogical level, the user can request and receive different sets ofvirtual machines and other resources on a real-time or near real-timebasis, without a need to specify or install any particular hardware. Theuser's set of instantiated virtual machines 116, processes, or otherresources can be scaled up or down immediately or virtually immediatelyon an on-demand basis, if desired. In embodiments, the various sets ofresource servers that are accessed by the cloud management system 104 tosupport a set of instantiated virtual machines 116 or processes canchange or be substituted, over time. The type and operatingcharacteristics of the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 cannevertheless remain constant or virtually constant, since instances areassembled from abstracted resources that can be selected and maintainedfrom diverse sources based on uniform specifications.

In terms of network management of the set of instantiated virtualmachines 116 that have been successfully configured and instantiated,the cloud management system 104 can perform various network managementtasks including security, maintenance, and metering for billing orsubscription purposes. The cloud management system 104 of a given cloud102 can, for example, install or terminate applications or appliances onindividual machines. The cloud management system 104 can monitoroperating virtual machines to detect any virus or other rogue process onindividual machines, and for instance terminate the infected applicationor virtual machine. The cloud management system 104 can likewise managean entire set of instantiated virtual machines 116 or other resources ona collective basis, for instance, to push or deliver a software upgradeto all active virtual machines. Other management processes are possible.

In embodiments, more than one set of virtual machines can beinstantiated in a given cloud at the same, overlapping or successivetimes. The cloud management system 104 can, in such implementations,build, launch and manage multiple sets of virtual machines based on thesame or different underlying set of resource servers 108, withpopulations of different sets of instantiated virtual machines 116 suchas may be requested by different users. The cloud management system 104can institute and enforce security protocols in a cloud 102 hostingmultiple sets of virtual machines. Each of the individual sets ofvirtual machines can be hosted in a respective partition or sub-cloud ofthe resources of the cloud 102. The cloud management system 104 of acloud can for example deploy services specific to isolated or definedsub-clouds, or isolate individual workloads/processes within the cloudto a specific sub-cloud. The subdivision of the cloud 102 into distincttransient sub-clouds or other sub-components which have assured securityand isolation features can assist in establishing a multiple user ormulti-tenant cloud arrangement. In a multiple user scenario, each of themultiple users can use the cloud platform as a common utility whileretaining the assurance that their information is secure from otherusers of the overall cloud system. In further embodiments, sub-cloudscan nevertheless be configured to share resources, if desired.

In embodiments, and as also shown in FIG. 2, the set of instantiatedvirtual machines 116 generated in a first cloud 102 can also interactwith a set of instantiated virtual machines or processes generated in asecond, third or further cloud 102. The cloud management system 104 of afirst cloud 102 can interface with the cloud management system 104 of asecond cloud 102, to coordinate those domains and operate the cloudsand/or virtual machines or processes on a combined basis. The cloudmanagement system 104 of a given cloud 102 can track and manageindividual virtual machines or other resources instantiated in thatcloud, as well as the set of instantiated virtual machines or otherresources in other clouds.

In the foregoing and other embodiments, the user making an instantiationrequest or otherwise accessing or utilizing the cloud network can be aperson, customer, subscriber, administrator, corporation, organization,or other entity. In embodiments, the user can be or include anothervirtual machine, application or process. In further embodiments,multiple users or entities can share the use of a set of virtualmachines or other resources.

FIG. 3 illustrates aspects of the cloud 102 and the cloud managementsystem 104 which can include one or more metering tools 300, accordingto various embodiments. In embodiments, the metering tools 300 can beconfigured to monitor the hardware and software resources of the cloud102 in order to determine the utilization of the hardware and softwareresources by processes instantiated in the cloud 102. While FIG. 3illustrates various components of the cloud 102, one skilled in the artwill realize that components can be added or removed.

In embodiments, the cloud 102 can include one or more computing systems305, such as the set of resource server 108 as described above, coupledto one or more networks 106. The computing systems 305 can be any typeof computing systems to provide resources to the cloud 102, such asservers, laptops, desktops, and the like. The computing systems 305 caninclude a number of hardware resources that are used to support virtualmachines, software appliances, processes and the like in the cloud 102,such as such as processors, memory, network hardware and bandwidth,storage devices, etc. Likewise, the computing system 305 can includesoftware resources 310 that are used to support virtual machines,software appliances, processes and the like in the cloud 102. Thesoftware resources 310 can include operating systems, applicationprograms, and the like.

In embodiments, the cloud 102 can be used for a variety of purposes. Forexample, the cloud 102 can be owned and/or operated by a cloud vendor,such as AMAZON, Inc., in order to provide the resources of the cloud 102to subscribers and customers. Likewise, for example, the cloud 102 canbe owned and/or operated by a entity (e.g. company, corporation,university etc.), and the resources of the cloud 102 can be used by theentity to support various computing processes.

In embodiments, the software resources 310, included in the computingsystems 305, can depend on the particular usage of the cloud 102. Forexample, if the cloud 102 is operated by a cloud vendor, the softwareresources 310 can include operating systems, such as LINUX provided byRed Hat Corporation, and various application programs requested ortypically desired by subscribers, such as middleware applications, webhosting applications, electronic mail (email) applications, and thelike. Likewise, for example, if the cloud 102 is operated by an entityfor internal use, the software resources 310 can include softwareresources 310 required to support the specific internal uses. Forinstance, the cloud 102 can be utilized by a corporation to performsimulations on a product and the software resources 310 can includeoperating systems and application programs to run the simulations.

In embodiments, as also described above, the cloud management system 104can be configured to monitor, manage, and maintain the cloud 102. Thecloud management system 104 can be configured to allocate the resources(hardware resources and software resources 310) of the computing systems205 in order to allow the usage of the cloud 102. For example, the cloudmanagement system 104 can be configured to include a virtual machinemonitor 315. The virtual machine monitor 315 can be configured toallocate the resources of the computing systems 305, instantiate virtualmachines on the computing systems 305, monitor the virtual machinesduring their instantiation, and terminate the virtual machines once useis finished. The virtual machine monitor 315 can be any type ofconventional open-source or proprietary virtual machine monitor, such asXen, that allows several guest operating systems to be run on the samehardware resources. Likewise, the cloud management system 104 can beconfigured to instantiate, monitor, and terminate other processes in thecloud 102, such as software appliances, individual applications, andother processes.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 104 can be configured toinclude the metering tool 300 in order to determine, track and recordthe utilization of the hardware resources and software resources 310 ofthe cloud 102. In particular, the metering tool 300 can be configured todetermine the resources (hardware resources and software resources 310)that are utilized in the cloud 102, track the duration that theresources are utilized, and record the utilization for accounting orother purposes.

In embodiments, to determine and track the utilization, the meteringtool 300 can be configured to cooperate with other components of thecloud management system 104, such as the virtual machine monitor 315, todetermine the resources utilized in the cloud and track the utilizationof the resources. Likewise, the metering tool 300 can be configured todirectly query and monitor the computing systems 305 to determine andtrack the utilization of the resources of the cloud 102. For instance,the metering tool 300 can be configured to cooperate and communicatewith operating systems running on the computing systems 305 in order todetermine when resources of the computing systems 305 are utilized.

In embodiments, the metering tool 300 can be implemented as anapplication program that is configured to cooperate with the componentsof the cloud management system 104 and configured to directly query andmonitor the computing system 305 in order to determine the resourcesthat are utilized in the cloud 102. As such, the metering tool 300 canbe configured to include the necessary logic, commands and instructionsto communicate with the components of the cloud management system 104,such as the virtual machine monitor 315. Likewise, the metering tool 300can be configured to include the necessary logic, commands andinstructions to communicate with the hardware resources of the computingsystems 305 and the software resources 310, such as the operating systemand applications programs. The metering tool 300 can be implemented as acomponent of the cloud management system 104. Likewise, the meteringtool 300 can be implemented as a standalone application program that cancommunicate with the cloud management system 104. In any implementation,the metering tool 300 can be written in any type of conventionalprogramming language such as C, C++, JAVA, Perl, and the like.

In embodiments, one or more instances of the metering tool 305 canoperate in the cloud 102. For instance, the cloud management system 104can be configured to include (or communicate with, if separate) oneinstance of the metering tool 305 in order to coordinate and control thedetermination and tracking of the utilization of the resources of thecloud 102. Likewise, for example, one or more instances of the meteringtool 300 can be located on the computing systems 305. When located onthe computing systems 305, the metering tools 300 can be configured toquery and monitor the computing system 305 to determine and trackresource utilization and configured to report the resource utilizationto the instance of the metering tool 300 located in (or communicatingwith) the cloud management system 104.

In embodiments, the metering tool 300 can be configured to determine andtrack the utilization of the hardware resource of the cloud 102. Inparticular, the metering tool 300 can be configured to actively monitorthe hardware resources of the computing systems 305 and track theutilization of the hardware resources. For example, as virtual machines,software appliances, and other processes use the hardware resources ofthe computing systems 305, the metering tool 300 can monitor thehardware resources to determine the type (processors, memory, storage,network devices), the amount (number of processing cycles, amount ofmemory, amount of storage, amount of network bandwidth), and theduration (seconds, minutes, hours, days) the hardware resources areutilized.

In embodiments, the metering tool 300 can be configured to determine andtrack the utilization of the software resources 310 by processesinstantiate in the cloud 102. In particular, the metering tool 300 canbe configured to cooperate and communicate with the cloud managementsystem 104 in order to determine the type of software resources 310utilized, the number of instances of each type of software resources 310utilized, and the duration each instance of software resources 310 isutilized. Likewise, the metering tool 300 can be configured to cooperateand communicate directly with the computing system 305 in order todetermine the type of software resources 310 utilized and the durationeach type of software resources 310 is utilized. For example, themetering tool 300 can be configured to determine the types and numbersof host and/or guest operating systems (LINUX, WINDOWS, etc) andapplications programs (middleware applications, web hostingapplications, email applications, etc.) that are utilized and theduration (seconds, minutes, hours, days) that each type is utilized.

In embodiments, for example, the metering tool 300 can be configured todetermine and track the software resources 310 utilized in the virtualmachines instantiated in the cloud 102. To achieve this, the meteringtool 300 can be configured to communicate with the virtual machinemonitor 315 to determine and track the software resources 310 utilizedin the virtual machines. For instance, when a virtual machine isinstantiated, the virtual machine monitor 315 can notify the meteringtool 300 that a virtual machine has been instantiated. The notificationcan include an identification of the virtual machine, the type of thehost operating system, and the type of the guest operating systemcreated for the virtual machine. As software resources 310 are utilizedin the virtual machine, the virtual machine monitor 315 can notify themetering tool 300 of the type of software resources 310, the start timeof the software resources 310 utilization, and the end time of thesoftware resources 310 utilization. As such, the metering tool 300 cantrack the duration that particular types of software resources 310 thatare utilized by the virtual machines. Likewise, the virtual machinemonitor 315 can notify the metering tool 300 of the start time andtermination time of the virtual machine. As such, the metering tool 300can determine and track the duration of the utilization of the guestoperating system and the host operating system.

In embodiments, for example, the metering tool 300 can be configured todetermine and track the software resources 310 utilized in other processinstantiate in the cloud 102, such as software appliances and individualapplication programs. In particular, the metering tool 300 can beconfigured to communicate with the cloud management system 104 andmonitor the computing systems 305 to determine and track the utilizationof the software resources 310. For instance, when the cloud managementsystem 104 instantiates a software appliance in the cloud 102, the cloudmanagement system 104 can notify the metering tool 300 of the softwareresources 310 included in the appliance (e.g. operating system andapplication programs), the start time of the appliance, and the end timeof the appliance. Likewise, for instance, the metering tool 300 canmonitor the computing systems 305 for software appliances being startedon the computing systems 305 and can track the duration that thesoftware appliance runs on the computing systems 305. As such, themetering tool 300 can track the duration that the software resources 310included in the software appliance are utilized.

Likewise, for instance, the metering tool 300 can determine and trackwhen a particular software resource 310 is individually utilized on thecomputing systems 305. The metering tool 300 can be configured tocommunicate with operating systems running on the computing systems 305in order to identify when the particular software resource 310 isutilized and the duration the software resource 310 is utilized.

In embodiments, as the metering tool 300 determines and tracks resourceutilization, the metering tool 300 can be configured to store theutilization of the software resources 310 in a software record 320 andconfigured to store the utilization of the hardware resources in thehardware record 330. The record 320 can be configured to store the typeof the software resources 310 utilized and the duration the softwareresources 310 are utilized. The metering tool 300 can be configured tomaintain the hardware record 330 and the software record 320 in computerreadable storage devices or media 325 (CD, DVD, hard drive, portablestorage memory, etc.) whether local to the cloud management system 104or remotely located. The metering tool 300 can be configured to maintainthe hardware record 330 and the software record 320, in the computerreadable storage devices or media 325, in any type of format that isaccessible by a computing system, such as a file, tree, database, orother format.

In embodiments, the software record 320 can be configured to store theutilization of the software resources 310 in any type of data structurethat allows the type of a particular software resources 310 to beassociated with the duration that particular resource is utilized. FIG.4 illustrates an exemplary software record 320 that can store theutilization of the software. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the softwarerecord 320 can be configured a table 400 including a number of rows 405and columns 410. Each of the rows 405 can store the utilization ofsoftware resources 310 by a particular process instantiate in the cloud(e.g. virtual machine, software appliance, etc.). Each of the columns410 can identify the data relevant to each particular process stored inthe rows 405 such as, an identification of the process, the type ofsoftware resources 310 utilized in the process and the duration of theutilization of the software resource.

In embodiments, the metering tool 300 can be configured to search thesoftware record 320 and/or the hardware record 330 and configured tooutput the data contained in the software record 320 and/or the hardwarerecord 330. For example, the metering tool 300 can receive a request fordata contained in the software record 320 and/or the hardware record 330from the cloud management system 104 or any user or entity associatedwith the cloud 102. To achieve this, the metering tool 300 can beconfigured to provide the an interface to receive requests for data andprovide the requested data. The interface can be configured to receivethe request and to provide the data from the software record 320 and/orthe hardware record 330 utilizing any type of communications, such asemail, web page, text message, and the like. As such, the metering tool300 can contain the necessary logic, commands and instructions togenerate graphical user interfaces (GUIs), e.g. dialog boxes and webpages, and/or contain the necessary logic, commands and instructions toutilize other programs or applications to communicate with the cloudmanagement systems 104 or other entities. Likewise, the metering tool300 can contain the necessary logic, commands and instructions to searchthe software record 320 and/or the hardware record 330 according to therequests and retrieve the data.

In embodiments, the data regarding the utilization of the softwareresources 310, contained in the software record 320, can be used for avariety of purposes. For example, the owner or operator of the cloud 102can use the data to track the usage of the software resources 310,determine a charge for subscribers utilization of the cloud 102,determine a need for additional software resources 310, and the like.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary diagram of hardware and other resourcesthat can be incorporated in a computing system 500, which can implementthe cloud management system 104, and configured to communicate with theclouds 102 via one or more networks 106, according to embodiments. Inembodiments as shown, the computing system 500 can comprise a processor502 communicating with memory 504, such as electronic random accessmemory, operating under control of or in conjunction with operatingsystem 506. Operating system 506 can be, for example, a distribution ofthe Linux™ operating system, such as SELinux, the Unix™ operatingsystem, or other open-source or proprietary operating system orplatform. Processor 500 also communicates with one or more computerreadable storage medium 325, such as hard drives, optical storage, andthe like. Processor 500 further communicates with network interface 508,such as an Ethernet or wireless data connection, which in turncommunicates with one or more networks 106, such as the Internet orother public or private networks.

Processor 500 also communicates with the cloud management system 104,which can include the metering tool 300, to execute control logic andallow for tracking resource utilization as described above and below.Other configurations of the computing system 500, associated networkconnections, and other hardware and software resources are possible.

While FIG. 5 illustrates the computing system 500 as a standalone systemincluding a combination of hardware and software, the computing system500 can include multiple systems operating in cooperation. The cloudmanagement system 104, which can include the metering tool 300, can beimplemented as a software application or program capable of beingexecuted by the computing system 500, as illustrated, or otherconventional computer platforms. Likewise, the metering tool 300, canalso be implemented as a software module or program module capable ofbeing incorporated in other software applications and programs. Ineither case, the cloud management system 104 and the metering tool 300can be implemented in any type of conventional proprietary oropen-source computer language. When implemented as a softwareapplication or program code, the cloud management system 104 and themetering tool 300 can be stored in a computer readable storage medium,such as storage 325 accessible by the computing system 500. Likewise,during execution, a copy of the cloud management system and the meteringtool 300 can be stored in the memory 504.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of an exemplary process for trackingthe utilization of the software infrastructure of the cloud 102,according to embodiments. In 602, processing can begin. In 604, themetering tool 300 can determine the software resources that are utilizedby a process instantiated in the cloud. The process can be any type ofprocesses that can be supported by the cloud, such as a virtual machine,software appliance, and individual software instance.

To determine the software resources, for example, the metering tool 300can communicate with the virtual machine monitor 315 to determine thesoftware resources 310 utilized in the virtual machines. For instance,when a virtual machine is instantiated, the virtual machine monitor 315can notify the metering tool 300 that a virtual machine has beeninstantiated. The notification can include an identification of thevirtual machine, the type of the host operating system, and the type ofthe guest operating system created for the virtual machine. As softwareresources 310 are utilized in the virtual machine, the virtual machinemonitor 315 can notify the metering tool 300 of the type of softwareresources 310 utilized.

Likewise, for example, the metering tool 300 can determine the softwareresources 310 utilized in other process instantiate in the cloud 102,such as software appliances and individual application programs. Inparticular, the metering tool 300 can communicate with the cloudmanagement system 104 and monitor the computing systems 305 to determinethe utilization of the software resources 310. For instance, when thecloud management system 104 instantiates a software appliance in thecloud 102, the cloud management system 104 can notify the metering tool300 of the software resources 310 included in the appliance (e.g.operating system and application programs). Likewise, for instance, themetering tool 300 can monitor the computing systems 305 for softwareappliances being started on the computing systems 305. Additionally, forinstance, the metering tool 300 can determine when a particular softwareresource 310 is individually utilized on the computing systems 305.

In 606, the metering tool 300 can track the duration of the utilizationof the software resources 310. For example, when a virtual machine isinstantiated, the virtual machine monitor 315 can notify the meteringtool 300 of the start time and termination time of the virtual machine.Additionally, as software resources 310 are utilized in the virtualmachine, the virtual machine monitor 315 can notify the metering tool300 of the type of software resources 310, the start time of thesoftware resources 310 utilization, and the end time of the softwareresources 310 utilization. As such, the metering tool 300 can track theduration that particular types of software resources 310 that areutilized by the virtual machines and track the duration of theutilization of the guest operating system and the host operating system.

Likewise, for example, the metering tool 300 can track the softwareresources 310 utilized in other process instantiate in the cloud 102,such as software appliances and individual application programs. Forinstance, when the cloud management system 104 instantiates a softwareappliance in the cloud 102, the cloud management system 104 can notifythe start time of the appliance and the end time of the appliance.Likewise, the metering tool 300 can monitor the computing systems 305can track the duration that the software appliance runs on the computingsystems 305. As such, the metering tool 300 can track the duration thatthe software resources 310 included in the software appliance areutilized. Additionally, for example, the metering tool 300 can determineand track when a particular software resource 310 is individuallyutilized on the computing systems 305. The metering tool 300 cancommunicate with operating systems running on the computing systems 305in order to identify when the particular software resource 310 isutilized and the duration the software resource 310 is utilized.

In 608, the metering tool 300 can store the tracked utilization in asoftware record 320. The software record 320 can store the utilizationof the software resources 310 in any type of data structure that allowsthe type of a particular software resources 310 to be associated withthe duration that particular resource is utilized. The metering tool 300can maintain the hardware record 330 and the software record 320 incomputer readable storage devices or media 325 (CD, DVD, hard drive,portable storage memory, etc.) whether local to the cloud managementsystem 104 or remotely located.

In 610, the metering tool 300 can output the stored utilization data.For example, the metering tool 300 can receive a request for datacontained in the software record 320 from the cloud management system104 or any user or entity associated with the cloud 102. The meteringtool 300 can provide an interface to receive requests for data andprovide the requested data. The interface can be configured to receivethe request and to provide the data from the software record 320utilizing any type of communications, such as email, web page, textmessage, and the like. The metering tool 300 can search the softwarerecord 320 according to the requests and retrieve the data.

In 612, the process can end, but the process can return to any point andrepeat.

Certain embodiments may be performed as a computer application orprogram. The computer program may exist in a variety of forms bothactive and inactive. For example, the computer program can exist assoftware program(s) comprised of program instructions in source code,object code, executable code or other formats; firmware program(s); orhardware description language (HDL) files. Any of the above can beembodied on a computer readable medium, which include computer readablestorage devices and media, and signals, in compressed or uncompressedform. Exemplary computer readable storage devices and media includeconventional computer system RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-onlymemory), EPROM (erasable, programmable ROM), EEPROM (electricallyerasable, programmable ROM), and magnetic or optical disks or tapes.Exemplary computer readable signals, whether modulated using a carrieror not, are signals that a computer system hosting or running thepresent teachings can be configured to access, including signalsdownloaded through the Internet or other networks. Concrete examples ofthe foregoing include distribution of executable software program(s) ofthe computer program on a CD-ROM or via Internet download. In a sense,the Internet itself, as an abstract entity, is a computer readablemedium. The same is true of computer networks in general.

While the teachings has been described with reference to the exemplaryembodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to makevarious modifications to the described embodiments without departingfrom the true spirit and scope. The terms and descriptions used hereinare set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant aslimitations. In particular, although the method has been described byexamples, the steps of the method may be performed in a different orderthan illustrated or simultaneously. Furthermore, to the extent that theterms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variantsthereof are used in either the detailed description and the claims, suchterms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term“comprising.” As used herein, the term “one or more of” with respect toa listing of items such as, for example, A and B, means A alone, Balone, or A and B. Those skilled in the art will recognize that theseand other variations are possible within the spirit and scope as definedin the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: determining, by a processingdevice, a first duration of usage of a hardware resource on which avirtual machine is instantiated in a cloud; determining, by theprocessing device from the virtual machine on the cloud, a secondduration of usage of a software resource that is utilized by a user onthe virtual machine, the software resource comprising at least part ofan operating system; and calculating, by the processing device, a usageof the cloud by the user in view of the first duration and the secondduration.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware resourcecomprises at least one or more of a processor, a memory, a networkhardware, or a bandwidth.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein determiningthe first duration comprises: receiving a start time and a terminationtime of the virtual machine; and calculating the first duration from thestart time and the termination time of the virtual machine.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein determining the second duration comprises:receiving a start time and a termination time of the software resource;and calculating the second duration from the start time and thetermination time of the software resource.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein determining the second duration comprises: monitoring at leastone computing system supporting the virtual machine for a start time anda termination time of the software resource; and calculating the secondduration from the start time and the termination time of the softwareresource.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the software resourcefurther comprises an application software.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising: recording the first duration on a first record ofthe usage of the hardware resource; receiving an identifier of thesoftware resource from a cloud management system of the cloud; andrecording the second duration on a second record of the usage of thesoftware resource.
 8. A non-transitory computer readable storage mediumcomprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device,cause the processing device to: determine a first duration of usage of ahardware resource on which a virtual machine is instantiated in a cloud;determine, from the virtual machine on the cloud, a second duration ofusage of a software resource that is utilized by a user on the virtualmachine, the software resource comprising at least part of an operatingsystem; and calculate a usage of the cloud by the user in view of thefirst duration and the second duration.
 9. The non-transitory computerreadable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the hardware resourcecomprises at least one or more of a processor, a memory, a networkhardware, or a bandwidth.
 10. The non-transitory computer readablestorage medium of claim 8, wherein to determine the first duration, theprocessing device is further to: receive a start time and a terminationtime of the virtual machine; and calculate the first duration from thestart time and the termination time of the virtual machine.
 11. Thenon-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein todetermine the second duration, the processing device is further to:receive a start time and a termination time of the software resource;and calculate the second duration from the start time and thetermination time of the software resource.
 12. The non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein to determine thesecond duration, the processing device is further to: monitor at leastone computing system supporting the virtual machine for a start time anda termination time of the software resource; and calculate the secondduration from the start time and the termination time of the softwareresource.
 13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium ofclaim 8, wherein the software resource further comprises an applicationsoftware.
 14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium ofclaim 8, wherein the processing device is further to: record the firstduration on a first record of the usage of the hardware resource;receive an identifier of each particular software resource from a cloudmanagement system of the cloud; and record the second duration on asecond record of the usage the software resource.
 15. A system,comprising: a memory; a processing device, operatively, coupled to thememory, the processing device to: determine a first duration of usage ofa hardware resource on which a virtual machine is instantiated in acloud; determine, from the virtual machine on the cloud, a secondduration of usage of a software resource that is utilized by a user onthe virtual machine, the software resources comprising at least part ofan operating system; and calculate a usage of the cloud by the user inview of the first duration and the second duration.
 16. The system ofclaim 15, wherein the hardware resource comprises at least one or moreof a processor, a memory, a network hardware, or a bandwidth.
 17. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein to determine the first duration, theprocessing device is further to: receive a start time and a terminationtime of the virtual machine; and calculate the first duration from thestart time and the termination time of the virtual machine.
 18. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein to determine the second duration, theprocessing device is further to: receive a start time and a terminationtime of the software resource; and calculate the second duration fromthe start time and the termination time of the software resource. 19.The system of claim 15, wherein to determine the second duration, theprocessing device is further to: monitor at least one computing systemsupporting the virtual machine for a start time and a termination timeof the software resource; and calculate the second duration from thestart time and the termination time of the software resource.
 20. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the software resource further comprises anapplication software.